Sweet and Sour
by jewelmonkey
Summary: Many oneshots that are solely Ryou-centric. Plots, stories, lengths and pairings vary.  More than welcome to new ideas.
1. Helping Hand

_Genre: friendship_

_Category: Anime - Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist_

_Pairing: slight Tendershipping (Bakura/Ryou)_

**Helping Hand.**

"A-Ah, excuse me? I um.. I need help over here", Ryou called, raising his voice as he waved frantically. The shop keeper wandered off towards Ryou, who immediately engaged her with conversation about a particular item he just might purchase.

"Perfect. He has her distracted. Pathetic woman", Bakura thought smugly, as he immediately set off through some aisles, pocketing whatever he found of interest.

* * *

Bakura waited outside the store, his hands in his pockets while he fingered the treasures he stole. He spotted Ryou walking to the exit of the store, towards him, trying to remain inconspicious. But his posture was too stiff.

Bakura sighed. Ryou needed to relax about these type of things.

"That was.. terrifying!", Ryou whispered hotly, his eyes wide while his face flushed.

Bakura smirked lazily, leading the way out of the mall with slow strides. "For you, maybe."

Ryou struggled to keep up, seeing as he was peering over his shoulder at the store every two seconds. "She was nice too.."

A scoff. "Don't feel bad about people like that. They don't /care/ whether there's theft. They just want money and get the hell out of there."

Ryou looked scandalized, his white hair framing his face as he turned. "Bakura!"

"What? It's the truth."

* * *

Once they were in the car, Ryou buckled his seatbelt and waited for Bakura to start the ignition. In a quiet murmur, he spoke, "I still feel nervous. I think there was a security camera in that store."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "You mean that sticker taped to the door? That's a lie. It's to frighten theives. It's only for show."

"How do you know?"

"I know."

Ryou's breathing evened out after his words, and he stared out the window as Bakura pulled out of the lot. A second later, he felt something light drop onto his lap. He looked down to see an unopen box of caramel chocolate. The expensive kind that Ryou always hesitated to buy.

With eyes as wide as saucers, Ryou gave Bakura a certain look in which the thief laughed loudly to.

"For a job well done", Bakura explained, his laughter dying into a large grin. "I know it's your favorite."

Ryou said nothing, trying to shield his smile with his jagged bangs.

-fin-


	2. Typical Mornings

_Genre: friendship_

_Category: Anime - Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist_

_Pairing: MxBxRxM friendship_

**Typical Mornings.**

There was a loud thump and a strangled cry.

Being a light sleeper, Bakura's eyes shot open and he pulled himself up into a sitting position. He glared at his bedroom door, mind still groggy from sleep. Groaning in irritation, he disentangled himself from the comforter and headed towards the door.

The hallway was bathed in sunlight as bright rays shot through the glass of the window on that landing. He slunked off towards the staircase. The commotion was at the bottom of the stairs.

Ryou was sprawled out, nursing an arm as Mariku was crouched over him, looking half-asleep and very annoyed.

Bakura heard the other dark murmur, "How about this?" before poking Ryou's offended arm. The little one whimpered in distress.

"It really hurts."

"What happened", Bakura demanded, rubbing the back of his head in exasperation. He probably looked no better than Mariku, in his tired state with tousled hair.

Ryou looked up at the figure on the flight of stairs with tearful eyes, no doubt forming from the pain. "I.. I was coming down to get breakfast and tripped."

"Waking me up in the process", Mariku grumbled.

It came as no surprise, really. Mariku was the toughest to wake, but lately he's been sleeping in the livingroom on the sofa. Of course he would hear Ryou tumbling down the stairs first.

Bakura silently walked down the stairs and also crouched down to Ryou's level. He took the other's arm, ignoring all the protests, and examined it.

"I checked already", Mariku informed, staring at Ryou's scrunched face. "It just looks sprained to me."

Mariku was right for once. Bakura ordered Ryou to move his arm and he was able to, albeit a little hesitantly. It wasn't broken at least.

Bakura concluded that he would have to go get a brace and painkillers for him later. The thought didn't please him in the least. He dropped Ryou's hand, a bit too forcefully and went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.

Mariku also got to his feet, though he had the decency to help the boy stand. Ryou kept his head bowed as he slowly travelled to the living room and sat on Mariku's blanket.

Mariku observed both Bakura and Ryou quietly before he mused, "Three out of the four awake... Where's Malik?"

* * *

The one in question was rolling in his blankets. He thought he had heard voices earlier, but there was only silence now. Still, Malik felt it was time he got up so he did, grudgingly. He rubbed his eyes and sat at the edge of his bed for a few more minutes.

When he stepped into the livingroom, he was shocked to find all three of the other house inhabitants awake. Mariku was lounging against one end of the couch, shirtless and with his eyes closed. Ryou was beside him, watching television while holding onto his right arm. Bakura, charging up an armchair, had a slight glower to his face as he sipped his steaming mug of caffeine.

Malik was speechless. "What the hell..? Why are you all up? It's only like eight, _and_ it's a Sunday!"

Mariku opened one bleary eye and jabbed a thumb in Ryou's direction. "He took a fine trip down the stairs today. That's why."

Malik's lips were shaped into a perfect 'o'. He glanced at Ryou and scanned his body. "Are you okay?"

Ryou sniffed and nodded once, still not letting go of his arm. "I'm fine."

The Egyptian nodded too, seeming satisfied with that answer. But Bakura noticed something the others didn't, because he growled, "Don't lie to me."

Ryou shrunk into himself, and blinked up at Mariku as the dark-skinned man rubbed his arm soothingly. "Don't worry", he cooed, "Starting from now, you can just sleep with me. No more stairs to be afraid of, hm?"

Blushing in spite of himself, Ryou stuttered, "I.. Well, I.. Well alright.."

Mariku's eyes twinkled with mischief. Bakura caught his eye and glared, which only made Mariku stick out his tongue childishly. Malik sighed and clapped a hand to his forehead. Why are the people he live with so... HARD to live with?

'Oh well', he thought as he took a long swig from Bakura's cup, 'they sure do make life a lot interesting.'

-_fin_-


	3. Cheating is Essential

_Genre: romance, humor_

_Category: Games - Yu-Gi-Oh_

_Pairing(s): Tender, Bronze_

**Cheating is Essential.**

Ryou sat cross-legged beside Bakura, admiring the beautiful day. The sky was the perfect shade of cerulean, and while white wisps of cloud floated by, the sun burned brightly in the center of it all. Feeling the rays of sunlight warm his skin, Ryou sighed happily.

It was lunch-time and the four friends were lounging outside in the courtyard, under the shelter of a rather large tree. Marik and Bakura were sitting across from one another on the grass, playing a game of Duel Monsters. Malik was on his stomach, laying down beside Marik while keeping score and offering his two cents to Marik whenever he could.

At first, it was Ryou who had challenged Marik to a small duel. However, after only two turns, everyone soon realized that Ryou wasn't much of a duelist. Bakura, frustrated by this fact, promptly took over and is now winning the duel despite having only 900 life points left.

Ryou preferred to sit on the sidelines and cheer on anyway.

A small gust of wind rippled through everyone's hair, as if knowing that everyone was relaxed and enjoying the moment. Ryou leaned over Malik to retrieve a small creampuff from his lunchbox and began to nibble on it.

"There, I've done it", Bakura stated, his smirk growing as he dropped a magic card on his side of the field. "Monster Reborn revives my Dark Necrofear, giving me three monsters on my side."

"Big deal", Marik scoffed, as Bakura ended his turn. "Watch. In just a couple of more turns, your life points will go down to zero. So savor this moment well."

Ryou glanced at Bakura and saw his eyes narrow as his lips curve upwards in a challenging smile. Ryou chewed on his creampuff and thought that all of his friends seemed to have a confidence and competitiveness that he could never own.

"Marik, you can't summon that!", Malik chided as he looked at Marik's cards. He pointed at the card on the left of his hand and explained in a low voice, "If you do, Bakura will just get rid of it easily. Look, he has a card facedown and I'm betting it's a trap."

This made Bakura snicker softly, his eyes intent on the game. "Let Marik duel, and mind your own business. Let his stupidity be the cause of his own demise."

Malik threw a frown at the white-haired boy, but Marik laughed loudly. "You seem so sure of yourself, Bakura! Let's make this fun and have a little wager."

At the mention of this, Ryou looked up from his treat. Bakura's brow furrowed in curiosity, though suspicion was seeping into his voice. "What is it, Marik?"

"Hmm...", Marik hummed thoughtfully. His eyes landed on Ryou, who had been licking his fingers clean. Ryou noticed, paused, and blushed, a pink hue visible on his cheeks. Marik smirked deviously. "Ryou."

"What?", Bakura snapped, eyes flashing.

Marik shook his head, his spikes and golden earrings swaying lightly. He jabbed a finger in the direction of a wide-eyed Ryou and asked, "What do you want?"

"E-Eh?", Ryou trembled, surprised at this sudden attention. All three of them stared at him and he became flustered. "What do you mean?"

Malik caught onto Marik's plan and grinned, almost as evilly as Marik. "Food. Ryou, what kind of food would you like to eat today? Name anything! We'll get it after school."

Ryou thought for a minute and snapped his fingers. He smiled happily, his eyes lighting up. "How about sushi?"

Bakura tensed, Marik began to have doubts, and Malik looked all the more amused. "Sure Ryou. I guess we know what you guys are betting on. Whoever loses this match gets to pay for a full-course meal for all of us to eat."

Ryou blinked. When he finally pieced the information together, he gasped, "But that's really expensive!"

Malik smirked, unaffected by the price and folded his arms. Marik and Bakura both stared each other down, taking on this bet in stride.

"I'm going to win this duel, Marik."

"Heh, don't kid yourself."

Half an hour passed by with only the occassional bickering between the two sides. But for the most part, both Bakura and Marik were trying their hardest to concentrate.

At the moment, Marik is caught in Bakura's trap and he seems to be struggling. Malik tried his best to assist, but to no avail. Bakura's face held a triumphant grin, as if knowing Marik's dilemma.

Marik whispered something in Malik's ear while waiting for Bakura to complete his turn. Ryou eyed them cautiously, and even more so when Malik beckoned him over. He grabbed a hold onto Ryou's arm and pulled him gently away from the match.

Once they were at a safe distance, Ryou asked, "Malik?"

"Ryou. You've gotta do something."

"H-Huh?"

"The match. You see...", he began to shuffle his feet in an awkward manner and kept his head dipped low. "Marik and I.. Well, after our little stunt at school last week, Ishizu cut our allowance in half. We don't have enough money to buy all of the sushi if Marik loses."

Ryou dropped his gaze and muttered, "Oh. But.. Why are you telling me this?"

Here, Malik released his full charms onto Ryou and smiled sweetly. "By how the match is going so far, it's clear who the loser will be. So Ryou..."

He slid his tanned arms up Ryou's and caressed the younger one's cheek. Ryou flushed, immobilized to the spot. He began to sputter in indignation, but Malik cupped a hand over his mouth and glanced behind him to where Bakura was still busy.

He explained in a rushed murmur, "Can you distract Bakura? Not for a long time, just a short time for Marik to switch the tables a bit. We really can't afford to lose, Ryou."

Ryou looked uneasy as he shuffled his feet. "B-But.. that's cheating..."

"Not really! It's cheating only if you get caught", Malik said silkily, waving Ryou's comment off. He didn't look concerned in the least.

He looked down at Ryou, who still seemed unsure and grasped his shoulder lightly. "Come on.. You really want that sushi don't you? I know how you love sushi."

"..Yeah... but.."

"Then you can get it! By just helping me and Marik. We'll even throw in something for you. We'll get you that new game you wanted. Hmm? What do you say?"

He didn't even seem ashamed by taking advantage of poor Ryou. Ryou sighed and nodded weakly, complying against his will. Malik grinned and led the two back to where Marik was fuming and Bakura was boasting.

"What happened to all the tough talk now, Marik?", Bakura whispered venomously. He switched one of his monsters into attack mode and leaned back. "Your turn. Hurry up. I want to finish this before class starts."

He was right. Ryou glanced around the courtyard and saw that his fellow classmates were all done eating. A few were beginning to head back into the school. Malik caught his eye and he quickly looked away.

Marik glared down at the cards below, as Malik inconspiciously nudged Ryou in the side. Ryou fidgeted uncomfortably and tried to ignore the prods. They got more persistent and Ryou was forced to look up. Malik was watching him, and there was a slight glint to his eye as if silently saying, 'You mess this up and you won't live to see another day'.

So much for his smooth persuasion earlier.

Ryou gulped and spared Bakura a quick glance. The other didn't seem to notice anything amiss. He continued to watch Marik predatorily.

For the sake of that game cartridge Malik promised, Ryou cleared his throat. "Um.. Bakura...?"

At the sound of his name, Bakura blinked and glanced at Ryou out of the corner of an eye.

"I uhh... Class is about to start, why don't we go?"

Bakura frowned and darted his eyes back onto the duel. "I'm not going until this duel is done and over with. Go by yourself."

"I really, really, really want you to come with me."

"No."

"..Please?"

A growl escaped Bakura's throat but he kept his calm composure. "Go with Malik. Marik! Hurry the hell up!"

Marik continued to stall and Malik poked Ryou's side harshly. Ryou gasped by the sudden pain and said with desperation, "Bakura! Please?"

Bakura's eyes narrowed dangerously and he snarled, "Just **GO**!"

His words could've been aimed at either Marik or Ryou. Or perhaps both. His patience was wearing thin and it was portrayed on his face. The scowl was an obvious sign, but Ryou wouldn't give up.

Bracing himself, Ryou did the only thing he thought would distract Bakura completely. He slid closer to the other white-haired teen, held his cheek and turned his face.

He caught the surprise in Bakura's eyes before shutting his own tightly and leaned in. Their lips met softly. Bakura was caught completely off guard and his mind went oddly blank. Ryou's face was heating up in embarrassment, but he didn't remove his mouth from Bakura's. Neither one of them noticed Malik and Marik messing around with the cards and the scoreboard.

After a minute of sitting there with lips barely touching, Ryou shyly pulled away. His face was beet-red, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Marik.

Bakura simply stared at Ryou before tumbling out of the trance he was put in. He snapped his head down to the playing field and saw that one of his monsters magically disappeared. The small smirk on Marik's face pissed him off. "Marik!", he growled, anger rising to the surface.

Malik held up the scoreboard in front of him and wagged a finger, "Ah, ah, ah. You can't get angry. It's all recorded right here. In Marik's last turn, he attacked your life points directly, making you the loser. I guess we'll be meeting after school for some sushi, right?"

Malik barely dodged in time to avoid Bakura's fist. He laughed, grabbed a paralyzed Ryou from the ground and dragged him towards the school while singing 'Sushi, Sushi, Sushi'.

Marik chuckled as he tried to assemble his cards, watching Bakura shake in fury, confusion and bewilderment. "Good game!"

"You.. You cheat!"

"Don't start pointing fingers, Bakura! And you shouldn't complain.. You've gained something from this duel too!"

"And what might that be?"

"Ryou's kiss!", Marik cackled, retreating before Bakura could throw another punch.

What happened to that peaceful atmosphere earlier?

_-fin-_


	4. At Your Bedside

_Genre: romance, friendship_

_Category: Anime - Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist_

_Pairing: Tendershipping (Bakura/Ryou), slight Puzzleshipping (Atem/Yugi), slight Angst shipping, slight Bronzeshipping_

**At Your Bedside.**

It has been two days. Two days since Ryou became ill with a common disease known as the 'cold'.

The teenager was strapped to his bed every night, moaning in pain, as his body became drenched in cold sweat. It was not a pretty sight.

Bakura, enjoying this sudden free rein of the house, has been taking advantage of Ryou's absence. He could eat whatever he want at whatever time he wanted. He could /accidentally/ break glass and not get blamed or scolded. He could even sit out on the balcony and chuck small pebbles at passerby. It was a good time.

That is... until the third day.

It was nine in the morning; the day was beautiful. The sun was shining happily over Domino City, and early-risers crowded the streets while holding mugs of coffee or rolls of newspaper while heading to work. The very visual of a energetic, up-beat city.

It was also a beautiful day because this was Bakura's third day of being able to sleep in.

But then the doorbell rang.

* * *

"Are you sure it's alright for us to drop in unannounced, Yugi?"

"Yes Atem! I'm sure Ryou should be expecting us. Afterall, he is sick and we're his friends-"

The apartment door with the golden tablet embroidered with the number 601 clicked open. A white-haired male peered through the small crack of the door with bleary brown eyes. From what Yugi could see, Bakura looked half-asleep.

"Hi Bakura! Is Ryou home?", Yugi asked cheerfully. Bakura blinked and opened the door a bit wider. When he noticed the older-version of Yugi Motou, he paused and his face visibly darkened.

"What are you doing here?", he growled in a voice that was unnaturally deep, even for him.

"I..I invited Atem to come too, because... because...", Yugi stifled his laughter behind a small hand and glanced up at Bakura while he talked. It was hard to form a coherent sentence because besides Bakura looking very tired, his appearence showed it. He seemed as if he just jumped out of bed, judging by his ruffled hair.

Bakura's scowl deepened and he slammed a hand on the doorway to stop from admitting the two. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't send you two back where you came from."

Atem frowned as his lips twitched as if to retort, but Yugi quickly regained control of the situation by saying, "We're here to see Ryou. We heard that he was sick from the teachers at school."

Bakura's brow remained furrowed but he reluctantly let them in.

Yugi and Atem both stepped into the apartment at the same time and quietly took off their shoes on the doormat, as it is a protocol. Bakura padded into the hallway before calling behind him, "Ryou's resting. Don't wake him."

Then there was a sound of a door shutting and a small click.

"Hmm, seems as if Bakura was sleeping out in the livingroom", Atem observed, nudging a empty can of soda and nodding towards the bundle of blankets on the couch.

Yugi nodded and hesitantly walked over a couple of game controllers to reach Atem at the other side of the small livingroom. "Seems like it. I can understand though. Ryou's sick, Bakura wouldn't want to catch a cold too."

Atem hummed in agreement before leading the way towards the only room in the apartment: Ryou's room.

It was a small square of a place, but very tidy and orderly. Books were stacked on a small wooden shelf while a small alarm clock sat on a wooden bedside table. The bed itself took up more than half of the room, large as it was. And on it, rested a young boy with hair as white as snow.

The two visitors entered the room with caution, leaving the door wide open to flood a pool of light into the space.

Yugi silently stepped towards the sleeping figure and lifted a finger to his mouth at Atem before staring down at the boy.

Ryou was sound asleep, oblivious to the world. His cheeks were slightly pink (a side-effect of having a sickness), his forehead was beaded with sweat, which caused his hair to be damp. He didn't seem to be aware of the sudden noise of running water in the bathroom next door.

Yugi looked on sadly and pressed two fingers against his friend's cheek. "He's really hot Atem. What if it's more than a cold..?"

Atem pressed his lips together tightly in thought, looking at Ryou over Yugi's shoulder. "Perhaps. Though Bakura would've known if it was anything... unusual."

But there was a hint of a doubt in his voice.

Yugi worried his lip and looked at Atem briefly. "I'm sure Ryou's fine."

Atem smiled gently, ruffling Yugi's spiky hair. "Yes. Ryou is fine."

There was a sudden rap on the door and both of them turned in surprise. Bakura was standing in the doorway, the back of his hand still touching the door as his sillouhette casted a long eerie shadow into the room.

"Play time is over. Stop disturbing the ill", he instructed before leaving down into the hallway, tousling his wet hair with a towel.

Atem narrowed his eyes and followed after him, but Yugi stayed behind. He took a moment to scan Ryou's pained face and sighed. Tenderly pushing Ryou's white locks out of his face, Yugi forced a small smile before leaving. He made extra care to leave a small crack in the door for a thin light to penetrate through.

Yugi found Atem and Bakura in the kitchen. The moment he arrived, he gaped at the scene before him: Atem's back was to Yugi, but his arms were folded. Bakura, however, was clutching a glass of water, his eyes murderous and his hair standing on end. The atmosphere was thick with tension.

"-saying is you should take more /care/ for him. He doesn't look healthy-"

"Obviously", Bakura cut in, a cruel smirk twisting his mouth.

Atem ignored him and continued, "-and it could turn into something dangerous if you're not careful enough-"

Bakura tch-ed in irritation, lifted the glass to his lips and downed the water. He dropped the glass unceremoniously on the kitchen countertop and wiped his mouth with his wrist. "I'm not his /caretaker/."

Suddenly, his defensive stance loosened and he began to laugh. Atem and Yugi both blinked in confusion as Bakura folded his arms and stared at Atem head-on. "I like it this way anyway. No rules, no complaints, no restrictions.. It's a free life while he's-" he jabbed a finger at the dark hallway to his right, "-sick."

Yugi's eyes widened, "That's... that's.."

Bakura grinned, but it wasn't kind or mischievous. More... daring. "Yes, little Yugi?"

Atem growled under his breath and turned. He shook his head at Yugi's confused stare and grabbed his younger partner's arm before heading out the front door.

* * *

It was past noon when Bakura's 'freedom' was interrupted once again by the sound of knocks. This time, the knocks were more persistent.

He frowned and ignored the noise, turning his attention back to the television instead.

_Knock-knock, knock. Knock._

Frustrated, Bakura got up, tossed the remote on the couch and headed to the door. He snapped it open with an impatient, "What?"

Malik, already knowing of Bakura's short fuse with unwanted house guests, ducked into the apartment quickly. He laughed at a glaring Bakura while walking backwards and holding up a plastic bag at the same time.

"We got you some snacks, so you /have/ to let us in."

_Us?,_ Bakura thought before looking over his shoulder at the other man standing in front of the door. _Oh. Marik._

Bakura and Marik simply nodded at each other in acknowledgement before the white-haired teen threw himself back onto the couch as Marik closed the door and toed his shoes off.

Malik sat on the carpet and turned the bag upside down to allow its contents to fall. Four thin cans of soda scattered across the ground first, with siran-wrapped sandwiches tumbling after.

As Marik sat on a patch of carpet beside Bakura's legs, Malik scratched a tan cheek and glanced around the room. "Where's Ryou? Did he go somewhere?"

"He's sick", Bakura grumbled, never straying his eyes from the monitor. Not even when he leaned down briefly to pick up one of the ham sandwiches. He tore the wrapper easily and bit into the bread.

Marik leaned against the couch, staring at the tv with half-lidded eyes. _Of all the things he could watch... a reality show? How pathetic, even for him._

"Sick?", Malik shouted, his eyes wide as saucepans. He slapped his forehead and this movement caused his gold earrings to dangle mesmerizingly. "I can't believe he's sick. I.. I didn't know."

"How bad?", Marik asked, tilting his head backwards to look up at Bakura. The latter shrugged with one shoulder as if to say, "_How should I know?"_

Malik's eyes narrowed dangerously at Bakura's response, or lack thereof. In a low voice, he asked, "You don't even know his condition? If that's the case, how do you even know he's sick?"

He smirked at Malik's outrageous expression and drawled, "Go see for yourself."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, a depressed Malik dragged himself from out of Ryou's bedroom and collapsed on the sofa with a sigh. "I came all the way here to keep Ryou company and now he can't even get up."

Marik threw him a sharp glance. "Let me guess... you were bothering him?"

Malik scoffed and leaned up into a proper sitting position beside Bakura. "I'm not that stupid. He's just... sort of.. moaning... He looks worse for wear, really."

As if on cue, there was a tiny sound of light footsteps. Ryou came into view, holding his head and scanning the living room with glazed eyes.

"I.. I heard voices...", Ryou muttered quietly, before his laggy brain registered the fact that he had guests. "Malik.. Marik.. What are you-?"

Malik was off the couch and across the living room before Bakura could even blink. The Egyptian took hold of Ryou's arm firmly. "Ryou! What do you think you're doing? Get back to bed!"

The white-haired teen stared at his friend quizzically and gestured at Marik, who only stared. "B-But.. You guys.."

"Here", Malik snapped, bending low to quickly retrieve one of the sandwiches before ushering Ryou to his room. "You're sick! You need your rest, forget about me and Marik. We had no idea you were sick Ryou.. Sorry..."

Malik and Ryou's voices faded as they walked down the hallway to the room. Bakura turned to Marik and likewise, Marik did the same.

With a shrug, they turned back to the television show.

* * *

"Really.. You need to take better care of yourself. No one can take care of your body for you, you know."

Ryou didn't answer or complain to any of Malik's scoldings and allowed the other boy to tuck him back into bed.

Malik scrutinized Ryou's shirt and crinkled his nose. "Isn't the shirt all... wet? From your sweat, I mean."

A small weak chuckle was his reply. "A little. But it doesn't bother me."

Shrugging it off, Malik sat on the empty space beside Ryou's body. He stared at the half-eaten sandwich on Ryou's bedside table before speaking, as if to himself.

"I heard that some of the most scariest diseases are caused from a simple cold. It is your fault for getting sick, but then... who can blame you? A cold can fall on anyone afterall. Who knows, maybe Marik, Bakura or I might even catch what you have by tomorrow."

At the sound of that name, Malik's eyes glinted dangerously and he continued, but his voice got steely and distant. "That idiot. He doesn't even watch over you properly. I knew you two living together was a bad idea. He doesn't even /care/. All he did today was watch his damn shows and junk on food. Not once has he checked on you, or even asked how you were doing, or even provide medici-"

Ryou blinked. "Are you talking about Bakura? Ah. You're wrong, Malik. You see, Baku-"

The other waved a hand as if to dismiss the conversation and Ryou obediently fell silent. He sniffed and peered over the blanket's hem to gaze at Malik shyly.

Malik, catching sight of Ryou's expression, grew oddly defensive. "What is it?"

Ryou shook his head and smiled under the blankets, hidden from view. "Thank you.."

A sigh.

And then...

"Just get better."

* * *

Bakura waited by the front door, his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face. He watched as Malik tried to clean up the living room to the best of his ability. He had no idea how much of a lost cause the place was. Blankets were strewn everywhere, cans littered the floor, and random burn holes on the carpet were visible from where Marik grew bored and played with a lighter for fun.

"Look, just leave. I'll take care of things", Bakura drawled, growing more impatient by the second.

Malik stopped in the action of folding the blankets and threw a glare at both of the other men. "Specifiy 'things', because I'm sure Ryou isn't listed. Imagine what his face would be like when he comes out of that room and sees what a mess you made!"

Bakura grinned, "I'm sure it'll be priceless."

Malik's jaw dropped in horror as Marik snickered.

"Y-You are so...", Malik trembled with anger, his face growing claret.

"Impossible?", Bakura provided with a sneer just as Marik happily offered, "Annoying?"

Malik roared in anger before grabbing Marik's hand and dragging him out of the apartment by force.

* * *

The time was past midnight. The moon was out in the night sky, surrounded by friendly stars that blinked down on Domino City.

Moonlight filtered into Ryou's room through the window, covering half of his face in darkness.

A cool hand slowly dropped onto his forehead, and Ryou smiled absently, already knowing who it was.

The person cursed and withdrew their hand as Ryou fluttered his eyes open. He stared up at Bakura's face, easily deciphering the frustrated expression even in the dark.

"I'm feeling better...", Ryou whispered, his sore throat restricting him from talking any louder.

Bakura scoffed and sat on the edge of the bed, folding his arms. "That's hard for me to believe with a fever so high."

Small laughter erupted from the smaller figure before he fell into a coughing fit. Bakura's eyebrows furrowed in concern before he sighed heavily and brought a hand to Ryou's cheek.

Ryou sniffed, his face reddening even more, if it was possible.

"Just keep still", Bakura ordered, though the command wasn't sour nor sweet. More.. impassive. He removed his hand and busied himself by dowsing a clean cloth in a small bucket of hot water that Ryou didn't notice before.

He watched Bakura delve the cloth repeatedly under the water before muttering in a small voice, "Malik told me that you didn't care. I told him that he was wrong."

Bakura said nothing, still leaning over the bucket and squeezing the liquid out of the cloth.

Ryou continued, surveying the other man carefully, "You're the one who's been feeding me medicine and changing my clothes for me, right?"

"Who else would it be."

It wasn't a question, more like an obvious statement. This made Ryou smirk slightly.

"Thanks."

Bakura answered by folding the newly twisted cloth onto Ryou's head. Once that was done, his fingers gently pried Ryou's bangs away from his face. "Stop talking."

Ryou complied, smiling innocently as Bakura's hand trailed down to caress his cheek and then to his lips, where it lingered.

Ryou waited for several seconds, enduring the small touches. Finally his patience was rewarded as Bakura leaned forward and brushed his lips against Ryou's before pressing them together completely.

A moment later, Bakura pulled away first to bury his head in the crook of Ryou's neck. He could smell the sweat from the other and reminded himself to change Ryou's shirt later.

"Sleep. I'll see you in the morning", he breathed before getting up and walking towards the bedroom door in graceful strides.

Ryou tried to sit up, but only managed to push himself weakly onto his arms. "W-Wait.."

Bakura turned, staring over his shoulder in question. His hand was holding the doorknob loosely.

"Can you.. keep the door open?", Ryou asked in a timid voice, casting his gaze downwards in embarrassment.

A fragile moment passed and gone. Bakura blew out a sigh, "Get some sleep."

He left the room, leaving the door half-open like Ryou requested.

_-fin-_


End file.
